|
|
| Travel and Leisure Information |
|
|
|
|
Carnival in RioJason Blynn Considered one of the most awe-inspiring and grandiose spectacles in all the world, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the marvelous city, is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. For five days, the 14 samba schools escolas de samba parade through the famous sambadrome in quest to be the best samba school for that year. Besides being a spectacular display of costume, color, and dance, the percussion coming from the thousands of people playing in each school’s battery literally lifts spectators out of the seats. It is during Carnival that the powerful and beautifully seductive rhythm of Brazil truly manifests itself. Samba is the soul of Brazil. Carnival in Rio dates back to about 1723, which is the earliest record to be found. Immigrants from the Azores and Cabo Verde introduced the first festivities, which were mainly intended to get people wet. People reveled in the streets, tossing buckets of water and limes at anyone they saw, even emperors. This activity was called an entrudo, intended to purify the body. As time went on people began to dress up, parade, dance, and play music for all to hear. At the beginning of the 19th century, the parades began to take on a more central role in the festivities, and with the sponsorship of a brewery called Hanseática, each parade group called “ranchos” then began to organize competitions from year to year. After a brief hiatus during World War II, the parades kept getting larger and more grandiose as the years went by. In the eighties, the sambodromo was built to fit 70,000 spectators and provide for a more organized procession of the schools. Nowadays, a typical samba school will spend two-thirds of the calendar year preparing for Carnival, for which each school performs one song. Besides having thousands of dancers, percussionists, musicians, and singers, each school also has a team of songwriters who work and compete with each other to compose the best song possible: the one that will bring the school victory. The competition is fierce within the team of composers. Whoever wins is sure to receive much acclaim and fame that year, as his song will be released on the year’s Sambas de Enredo CD, a recording with all the 14 schools’ songs that is released shortly before the arrival of Carnival and is always immensely popular. A typical school will easily spend 1 million dollars a year on Carnival. DiscoverBrazil offers three separate Carnival packages, each one with a different hotel option. Each package includes all transfers, tours, and breakfasts listed. A city tour is also included, with stops at Corcovado, Tijuca Forest, Sugar Loaf, and other Rio hot spots.
Tickets to the Sambodromo are optional. Flights are not included, but if you are interested in quotes for international or domestic flights, please contact one of our travel agents. Price quoted is based on double occupancy. For more information and price quotes, contact one of our expert travel consultants:
| | | | RELATED ARTICLES The Thoughtful Tinkerer - Make Homemade Devices For The Fun Of It Ive always liked to make gadgets and gizmos that have some function, either useful or not so useful. It started with the simple things that many kids make - slingshots, a simple bow and arrow, a toy boat. Occasionally I made more involved items such as a canoe and a dune buggy. Then there was the grass hut - 12 feet across, octogonal in shape, and thatched top to bottom with a thick layer of grass. I built it in a remote location, near a stipmine filled with water. Hauled the cut grass in a 1972 Volkswagon convertible with the top down. Piled the grass high in the back seat. It must have taken a dozen trips back and forth from a nearby hay field. Turbulence or Smooth Ride You Decide. Why is it that 2 people can use the same airport, the same airline and even be on the exact same flight, and have 2 totally different stories about their trip India on the Rails If life is a journey than, in India at least, it chugs along on two parallel steel lines… the railways. No reference here to the local trains of Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, where citizens spend a substantial portion of their waking hours commuting increasing distances within ever expanding city-limits. Breakfast In Hong Kong All people in the world know the importance of eating breakfast and every country has their traditional breakfast for its people. English people have their fried eggs, beans, bacon and mushrooms. Pakistan people have their chapattis. Chinese people have their noodles or congee. Borneo - Exotic Island Paradise SABAH is Malaysias premier nature adventure destination situated in the northern tip of Borneo Island, the third largest island in the world.Sabah is popular for its wildlife conservation attractions, rain forest, surrounding nature and islands, beach resorts, tropical white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and its warm and friendly people. If you are thinking of visiting Borneo, these places of interest and activities will whet your appetite! Validated Presence for Museums Some of the most important people to your future don’t understand the value of what you are doing. --- Richard West, “American’s Museums – Building Community” Ten Tips for Planning Your Vacation I hope that by sharing my personal experiences, you will avoid learning similar lessons the hard way. And it goes to show that those little details in the planning of a vacation can make a huge difference in the outcome. You can make your next vacation relaxing and enjoyable by following these simple vacation planning tips. Indiana Jones and the cave of John the Baptist The discovery of "the cave of John the Baptist" not far away from Jerusalem was a great journalistic drama. Archaeological news easily lights the imagination. Remember the movie series of Indiana Jones. Is it true that John the Baptist began to baptize his followers in this cave Let us go over the facts, and find out. Take Beautiful Landscape and Nature Photos We’ve all been there. Spent a lot of money to go to someplace we’ve never been before. We’ve taken the photos and brought them home expecting family and friends to ooh and aah over the shots we’ve taken. You open the envelope and take out the prints and somehow the landscapes and nature shots that looked so beautiful there look flat, dull, and you don’t remember seeing that couple in the corner of your shot when you snapped the shutter. The Warner Brothers Make Noise Hollywood was an attractive place for the early filmmakers to settle, full of good weather, orange and lemon trees. For producers who owed money on borrowed camera equipment if a creditor came after them, they could hide among the trees. It was a hard business full of causalities and took a pirates mentality to survive. Most of the studio heads were from poor backgrounds, with limited English skills and never forgot their childhood or a personal slight. Included were Jack, Harry, Albert and Sam, the four Warner Brothers from Youngstown, Ohio. They had begun with showing movies off the side of a tent in Youngstown, borrowing all the chairs from the local undertaker. Every time there was a funeral in Youngstown, they had to give all the chairs back and the film patrons were forced to stand. Desert Inn Makes Room For "Encore at Wynn Las Vegas" The towers of the legendary Desert Inn in Las Vegas nine-story each were imploded on November 17, 2004, in order to make room for a new construction in the "Wynn Las Vegas" project, initially planned to span over 20 acres of land. Marital Bliss - Honeymoon Cruise A Honeymoon Cruise as the name suggests offers a gateway to paradise for honeymooners away from the pressures of daily life and enjoy the bliss of togetherness. This provides an opportunity for you to start your married life in a state of togetherness by exploring the unknown and enjoying nature and life. Tales Of The Warner Brothers The four Warner Brothers, which included the womanizing Jack, the conservative Harry, the quiet Albert and the visionary Sam, had risen from obscurity with The Jazz Singer 1927 the first famous and financially successful talking movie ever made. Tragically, Sam Warner, the real brains behind the whole project, died of a brain tumor two days before The Jazz Singers debut. Jack was thrilled by the films success, but crushed by his brothers death. He became difficult to deal with for the rest of his life. His older and more conservative brother Harry and he fought constantly over money and Jacks womanizing ways. One time Harry chased Jack through the studio with a two by four threatening to kill him. The feud became so bitter that Jack opted to play tennis rather than attend Harrys funeral in 1958. One time Jack met Albert Einstein," Mr. Einstein, I have my own theory of relativity. Dont hire them." Oakland Airport Parking Whether your flying out of Oakland International for business or leisure, we all know how parking at Oakland Airport can frustrate any human being. The lack of space, the price, the thought of your car being at an unsafe, insecure lot. As a frequent flyer myself, I understand that the person who only travelers maybe twice a year or 20 times year, the same holds true. Airport Parking is the toughest part of the trip. I have compiled a list of reason why it is extremely advantageous to “reserve” your airport parking before your trip out of Oakland Airport. Solving The Murder at a Murder Mystery Party If you are invited to a murder mystery party you have the chance to act out the role of your favourite detective - whether its Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Morse. Japanese Garden of Monaco Have you ever seen an authentic Japanese garden Well, I had the chance of seeing the one in Monaco and was really impressed too. Wanna taste a little Japanese culture Stepping on this ground is escaping from the real world into a fantasy land. You suddenly find yourself in a typical Japanese natural setting like the ones you see in marvelous paintings. The only thing thats missing is the fog. Instead, the Mediterranean sun reveals all minute details in a warm light. Jerusalem - City of Gold "It took just 6 days for God to createHis wonderful world - so big - so greatOn the 7th day - He had a rest -Hed worked so hard - Hed done his bestHe settled back and looked to see,"I need a city.. One thats just for Me"And as He watched in His new setting sunHis eyes looked down on Jerusalem.." Masters Of Disguise Gene Hackman once lamented that the worst thing about becoming a famous actor is that you lose the ability to observe people without being noticed yourself.But some performers are so good at disguises that notoriety is no obstacle.A case in point was John Barrymore trying to buy his first house in Beverly Hills in 1926.Frustrated by rising real estate prices due to stars like Tom Mix and Charlie Chaplin moving into the neighborhood, Barrymore went to look at a lot dressed as his most famous movie role,Mr. Hyde.The realtor was taken aback by the long haired, wild eyed, fiendish looking man who got out of the limo.Every time the broker would suggest a price he was met by an intimidating growl.Finally he made the sale by lopping twenty thousand dollars off the initial number. Airfare - Not Always Fair Need a vacation but don~t want to stay around town Want to go somewhere exotic, somewhere different Want to fly but worried about the airfare Sourcing the cheapest airfare available has been made easier with competition growing between travel agencies as people realize that a vacation need not be all that expensive. Airfare can be a hindrance to the best of vacation plans but it need not be. With so many travel companies vying for your business - securing cheaper airfare is a given! A Great Motorcycle Ride in Mexico: Queretaro. A beautiful ride across cities and places named World Heritage by the Unesco, through an splendid protected natural area and ending in a surrealistic garden by artist Sir Edward James. Just keep reading... |
| home | site map |
| © 2005 |